Roof leak detection
Finding where the water actually gets in
Hail rarely punches through a shingle. It bruises the asphalt mat beneath the granule surface, creating a soft spot that weathers through over the following year or two. That delay is why hail damage is so often missed and why claims get disputed — the leak appears long after the storm. Documenting the characteristic pattern of granule loss and soft-metal denting at the time is what makes a claim straightforward later.
Stoughton has a winter long enough and cold enough that ice damming, not storm damage, is the dominant cause of roof leaks. The mechanism is heat loss rather than weather: warm air escaping into the attic melts snow on the upper roof, the meltwater runs down and refreezes over the cold overhang, and the resulting ridge of ice backs water up beneath the shingle courses until it finds a way in. The roof itself is usually in perfect condition. Repeated through a Dane County winter, freeze-thaw also works every flashing joint progressively looser, and spring brings hail and straight-line wind on top. The reason this matters is that fixing an ice dam leak by working on the shingles does not work — the problem is insulation and ventilation, and that is a different job.
Stoughton has a population of about 12,611, and the housing stock here sets the pattern for what fails first on a roof.
Commonly one to three years. The stone bruises the mat without breaking the surface, and normal weathering finishes what the hail started. A leak can trace back to a storm you had forgotten about.
Scattered damage on a sound roof repairs fine. Dense bruising across most elevations is usually assessed as replacement, because the whole covering has been compromised rather than specific spots.
Finding where the water actually gets in
Stains, bulges and damp patches inside
Cracked rubber collars around pipes
Crown, cap and masonry
Lifted tabs and broken seals
Algae streaking and moss growth
You will get a straight answer on whether Stoughton needs someone out today or whether it can wait — before anyone quotes you for anything.
Call (706) 696-1888